’It is a parent’s worst nightmare’

JIMMY Sammut gets the shivers when he thinks how his nine-year-old daughter Mikayla could have been crushed by an out-of-control car.

The father-of-two woke with a start yesterday morning at home in O'Brien Court, Arundel, when a neighbour's car crashed through the boundary fence, then over the pool fence and plunged into his family's swimming pool.

His daughter had been practising her strokes in the pool the night before, ahead of her big swimming carnival yesterday.

Alan Parr's car rolled down his driveway and into his neighbour’s pool. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Just before 7am yesterday the empty car rolled down a steep driveway, through the fences and made a huge splash into the pool.

A crane was called to lift the car out of the pool after police inspected the scene.

Despite the horror morning, Mr Sammut described the crash as a "remarkable relief'' for his family.

Alan Parr's car rolled down his driveway and into his neighbours pool in O'Brien Court, Arundel. Picture: Jerad Williams

"I am so lucky that the car didn't crash into our home and that we were all home together and safe," the 43-year-old said.

"The kids were getting ready for school and my wife Annabel was in the kitchen.

"It could have happened at any moment and it scares me even thinking about it happening last night. It is a parent's worst nightmare."

Mr Sammut's neighbour Alan Parrs said he wasn't sure how his car ended up in the pool.

"We don't know if it was a hand brake issue or not. We thought the doors were locked but we found out they were open,'' he said.

Alan Parr's car rolled down his driveway and into his neighbour’s pool in O'Brien Court, Arundel. Picture: Jerad Williams

"We couldn't believe how it went from our driveway and into the pool without hitting our fence.

"My family and I are still in shock. We are very lucky that no one has been injured."

Mr Sammut said the loud noise alerted the whole street, with residents rushing outside to see what had happened.

Alan Parr's car had to be removed from his neighbour’s pool by a crane. Picture: Jerad Williams

"I could tell by the tyre marks on the poolyard tiles that the car was about a metre from the house so the fact it went into the pool is just remarkable really," he said.

The Sammut family only moved into the home three weeks ago.

Jimmy Sammut surveys the damage after a car crashed into his pool. Picture: Glenn Hampson

"We relocated from Robina because the kids wanted a house with a swimming pool," he said.

"My daughter will be the most upset about it all because she spent last night practising in the pool. She loves it.

"She will have to take a night off from swimming after what has happened. We are in total shock and there are chips in the tiles, so it is a bit dangerous to be jumping off them into the pool."

Mr Sammut said he always kept an eye on the kids in the pool but never expected a car to end up in it.